RxMindset Removes Copycat Program After Cease and Desist

On June 27, an Instagram follower messaged The Barbell Physio director Dr. Zachary Long with a curious message: “Do you also run rxmindset? They seem to be reposting some of your content and their programs looked a bit similar.”

Long and co-owner Pamela Gagnon, who is also head coach of The Gymnastics Course, began investigating a potential copycat program but were unable to find RxMindset on Instagram.

“When I tried looking them up via my Instagram TheBarbellPhysio I could not find them but could from the other accounts I ran,” Long told us.

This is usually a sign that a user has blocked you from viewing their content or even showing up in an Instagram search. However, when Barbell Physio staff were able to purchase the two questionable programs they noticed nearly identical programs being resold on RxMindset’s website.

The Morning Chalk Up was granted access to both programs in order to verify this.

After obtaining what Barbell Physio determined was sufficient evidence they sent a cease and desist letter to Richard Hernandez, who’s position at the company is unclear but is listed as associated via Instagram, demanding that all materials be removed from RxMindset by July 10, 2019. Morning Chalk Up can confirm that RxMindset has removed both programs — The First Pull-Up Program and Overhead Squat Overhaul — and their Instagram has been overhauled to remove any reposted videos of either Long or Gagnon.

Morning Chalk Up reached out to Hernandez for explanation about the duplicate programs but received no reply.

Hernandez is also listed as a coach at Pacifico CrossFit in Oceanside, CA. Attempts to verify business ownership for both RxMindset and Pacifico CrossFit with the California Secretary of State’s office were unsuccessful.

The details.

As you can see below, the program descriptions are nearly identical but the level of deception goes much further. The daily exercises prescribed are copied and even link back directly to Gagnon’s personal YouTube videos, passing them off as the work of RxMindset. Gagnon has made it clear that neither she nor Long have ever partnered with RxMindset, given their permission or received compensation as a result.

The Barbell Physio First Pull-Up Program Summary

The progressions you need to get your chin over the bar in 10 minutes a day! Having trouble getting your chin over the bar for the first time? Are you frustrated by lack of pull-up progress even though you’re working hard at the gym?Pull-ups can seem elusive, frustrating, and out of reach. But with the right guidance, progressions, and consistency, you can gain the strength you need to get your first one. Join gymnastics expert Pamela Gagnon and Dr. of Physical Therapy Zach Long in this program to get your first pull-up. Pamela is an experienced CrossFit Games athlete and a leader in the world of gymnastics technique. Zach covers prehab and strength expertise to make sure you’re getting stronger while avoiding injury. There are no prerequisites for this program: Anyone can work toward their first pull-up.

RxMindset First Pull-Up Program Summary

The progressions and drills you need to get your chin over the bar in 10 minutes a day!Having trouble getting your first strict pull-up? Are you frustrated by lack of pull-up progress even though you’re working hard at the gym? Pull-ups can seem elusive, frustrating, and out of reach.But with the right guidance, progressions, and consistency, you can gain the strength you need to get your first one. There are no prerequisites for this program: Anyone can work toward their first pull-up. Be patient in your training…you may even need to repeat this program 1-3 times before getting your strict pull-up. This should be a supplemental program, added on top of your every day training, even if it already consists of any variation of banded pull-ups/kipping pull-ups.

The RxMindset PDF that comes with purchasing the program includes direct links back to Gagnon’s YouTube videos and the daily programs are titled the same.

Each of the instructional videos shown above links back to Gagnon’s YouTube videos. Here are two:

Safeguarding against an all too common type of theft.

Even though this is the first time Barbell Physio has experienced this type of theft, it’s unfortunately more common than you’d think.

“We’ve had numerous folks try and pirate our stuff over the years and have legal help to protect against [it],” RP Strength CEO Nick Shaw told us. RP Strength sells the popular diet templates which have been downloaded and used by thousands of athletes.

Other prominent companies have experienced similar types of theft.

Brute Strength’s well known and popular training programs were lifted and resold on vk.com, a Russian social media similar to Facebook.

“This company was paying for one membership then scheenshotting the workouts and reselling it as if they were a certified reseller of the program. They used our logos and everything,” said Matthew Bruce, Brute Strength’s CEO.

Invictus too has been victim of this sort of theft.

In each case we looked at, an email has been sufficient to remove the copied material.